The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-06-08
Che dlailg 8nlistin.
WEDNESDAY JUNE. 6 1887.
CoaSPlR C, s AGAINST LINCOLN.
now us LIFE WAS SOUGHT AND
GUARDED.

There we're, from first TO last, no
less than n dozen organized con-
spiracies to take the life of Abraham
Lincoln, and nearly all of them
were planned in the shadow of the
White House. After the great and
good man came to realize that his
life was menaced in this fashion, he
surrounded himself with proper pro-
lection, but nothing was more bitter
to him than the feeling that he was
obliged to do this. l heard him say
once to Col. Baker, then at the head
of the Sweet Service Bureau:
"These would-be assassins must
must be very ignorant people, or
else they are insane. They don't
seem to realize that the war would
90 on just the same if the President
and the Cabinet were wiped out.
Would we be foolish enough TO sup
pose that the death of Jefferson
Davis would end the Southern
Confederacy, or that the rebels in
the field would fight with less
energy?"
For one year-from June, 1862,
| to June, 1861 was detailed on
nothing but conspiracies against the
| President, and in the time dis
covered and frustrated three plots.
I do not mean to take the credit of
having saved his life On these three
occasions, for only one of the plots
| might have come to head. The
first plan was 10 send an internal
machine to him, and there we're three
occasions, for only one Of the plots
might have come to head. The
first plan was to send an Internal
machine to him, and there were
three men in il. We got the machine
an hour after it was taken to the
Postoflice at Cincinnati. The second
was plot to abduct him, and that
was blocked by having a guard de-
tailed to patrol the White House
grounds. The third began and ended
with the incendiary fire which con-
sumed the White House stables.
The Presidential coachman was q
man named Burke--a faithful and
courageous man, and known to be
thoroughly loyal. While in the very
best of health he was suddenly
taken strangely ill, and no doubt
poison of some sort was administered
to him. He was obliged to resign
his position temporarily, and it was
filled by man from Baltimore, who
was highly recommended to the
President, but of whom our Bureau
could learn little or nothing, and
that not in his favor. For three OF
four weeks / did nothing but shadow
the man and note his every move.
On two occasions l found strange
and suspicious men with him at
night, and search of his room
during his absence brought to light
letter couched in ambiguous terms
and dealing with mysterious allu-
sions to ''live stock now about fat
enough to kill" On that evening
the Baltimorean got drunk, and that
was made an excuse to discharge
him, but soon after he returned and
set fire to the stables. He was seer
about the stables, he was heard tc
mutter threats, he was seen at the
very spot where the flames broke
out not five minutes before they APP
peared. 1 arrested him two hours
after the fire, and when the matter
came into court he had nine wit
nesses to swear to an alibi. 1t was
supposed that he intended the con
Migration to draw Mr.. Lincoln Out
to the stables, which it really did
and then he was to find opportunity
to stab or shoot him, but as soon as
the fire blazed up and the alarm was
raised the fellows nerve failed hin
and he ran away. When took hin
into custody he exclaimed:
81 didn't do it, and ] can prove
didn't"
He had a wicked looking knife
and single-barreled pistol on hin
and some written instructions as tt
how to find certain mysteriou
party in New York city. We couldn'
convict him, but he found it best tt
leave Washington at once, and tt
remain away until after the war;
Detroit Free Press.
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